"Dog, come back." Liu Tiezhu called out to stop Er Gouzi, who wanted to chase after them.
By now, Liu Yusheng had already run dozens of meters away, and Liu Tiezhu wasn't sure if anyone else was nearby. The white-headed eagle's condition was critical, and he didn't want to waste time. Besides, he knew where Liu Yusheng lived—he could settle the score later.
Hearing Liu Tiezhu's words, Er Gouzi had no choice but to give up. The two mounted their horses again and continued toward the stone cave. This time, they were extremely cautious. After every stretch of travel, they would change direction, hide, and observe for a few minutes. Only after confirming they weren't being followed would they pick up the pace. Moving in this stop-and-go manner, it took them two hours to return to the stone cave.
As for Liu Yusheng, after regrouping with the other five from the Liu family village, he quickly fled the mountains. The sight of Liu Zhengxiong and the other three being shot had utterly terrified him. Now, all he wanted was to escape the mountains as fast as possible and never come back.
Back at the stone cave, Liu Tiezhu immediately went to the white-headed eagle's side. He took out painkillers and anti-inflammatory medicine, mixed them, and fed them to the eagle, then let out a sigh of relief. Half an hour after taking the medicine, the eagle perked up a bit. Seeing this, Er Gouzi said, "Brother Zhu, with these meds, the white-headed eagle should be fine."
"I hope so," Liu Tiezhu replied. Judging by the eagle's improved demeanor, the painkillers seemed to be working. But relying solely on these medicines wouldn't get the eagle out of danger. After observing for a while, Liu Tiezhu fetched some meat, cut it into small pieces, and fed it to the eagle.
Just then, Second Uncle and Big Brother emerged from the secret passage. Seeing the white-headed eagle's spirits somewhat restored, they were genuinely happy. After dinner, Second Uncle asked the two about any dangers they encountered during their trip to the city. Er Gouzi, being talkative, spilled everything: the house being demolished, the bounty placed on them by Zhang Jingyang, and Liu Yushan following them into the mountains.
"Liu Yusheng and his people followed you in?" Second Uncle's eyes widened, panic spreading across his face. Currently, the stone cave was their best refuge. If this place were discovered, they'd have to move again, and nearly a month of renovation work would go to waste. Second Uncle didn't care about that—what worried him was the location being found and his family's safety being threatened.
"Second Uncle, don't worry. They only tracked us to the outskirts; they won't find this place anytime soon," Liu Tiezhu said.
"We can't be careless. Liu Yusheng will definitely tell Zhang Jingyang about this. With the Zhang family's current resources, they'll surely send people into the mountains to search," Second Uncle warned.
Hearing this, Er Gouzi got excited. "Dad, what I'm worried about is them not daring to come into the mountains. If they're not afraid to die, let them send people—it'll be a chance for us to get supplies."
Second Uncle cut him off. "Dog, shut up. Stop thinking about supplies all the time. These people have guns and are vicious; one slip-up and you'll lose your life."
Liu Tiezhu said, "Second Uncle, I think Dog's idea isn't wrong. If these people dare to come into the mountains, we can't afford to be soft. Since they're coming to kill us, we can't just sit back and do nothing. Otherwise, this stone cave will be exposed soon." Liu Tiezhu's reasoning was simple: if they dared to come in, kill them all. Only by making them afraid would they hesitate to venture into the mountains. If they were allowed to search freely, this hideout would be found within a month.
Hearing this, Second Uncle just sighed helplessly. In the long run, Liu Tiezhu was right. To keep the family safe, they had to fight tooth and nail against anyone who entered the mountains. The group chatted until late into the night before heading to their rooms to rest.
The next day, Liu Tiezhu woke up and checked on the white-headed eagle. It had regained its energy and could peck at meat on its own. Based on this, the danger period had passed. With proper rest, the eagle would recover fully. After breakfast, Liu Tiezhu took Er Gouzi and the hunting dogs back into the mountains. He was still thinking about the tiger the white-headed eagle had injured. In this weather, even if the tiger died, the meat wouldn't spoil.
The two crossed the giant tree forest and headed toward the plains. The path had been cleared before, making this trip less strenuous. In just an hour and a half, they reached the plains. They rested for about ten minutes, then loaded their rifles.
"Dog, stay sharp. Keep an eye on our surroundings," Liu Tiezhu warned before releasing the hunting dogs. The tiger on the plains was badly wounded, but he couldn't be sure if it still had fight in it. Plus, the plains were vast, and other predators might be lurking nearby—they had to stay vigilant. In the mountains, one moment of carelessness could cost you your life.
Thirty minutes later, guided by the dogs, they arrived at the spot where the white-headed eagle had been injured yesterday. The bloodstains on the grass were now covered by snow, but the faint smell of blood lingered. The dogs sniffed around, looked up to survey the area, then veered left. Following the dogs for another ten minutes, they stopped by a mountain stream. Up ahead, all the dogs stood on a rock, staring intently toward the stream, and suddenly started barking wildly—a signal they'd found prey.
Liu Tiezhu raised his rifle, rushed to the dogs' side, and looked in the direction of the stream. There, lying among the broken branches by the stream, was a brownish-yellow tiger with black stripes. Blood was seeping from its abdomen, and deep claw marks, nearly to the bone, were visible on its back. The sight immediately excited Liu Tiezhu. Judging by the wounds, this was definitely the tiger the white-headed eagle had injured. He hadn't expected the tiger to be so resilient, managing to drag itself this far despite such fatal injuries.
Hearing the dogs' barking, the tiger sensed danger. It struggled to get up, trying to escape, but as soon as it took a few steps, it collapsed, letting out a pained roar.
"Heh, it's not getting away this time," Er Gouzi said, stepping up with an excited grin.
"Let's go down, but be very careful. Even badly hurt, this tiger can still kill us," Liu Tiezhu warned Er Gouzi, then ordered the dogs to stay put before advancing toward the tiger with his rifle raised. Er Gouzi didn't let his guard down either, sticking close to Liu Tiezhu and cautiously scanning the surroundings.
When they were about six meters from the tiger, Er Gouzi grabbed Liu Tiezhu's shoulder. "What's up?" Liu Tiezhu turned, confused. Er Gouzi didn't speak, just pointed insistently at a clump of weeds to the right. Liu Tiezhu followed his gaze and saw a pair of gleaming golden eyes staring straight at him, with a look as if savoring a rich feast.